Recruit Harutyun Mirzoyan was to be demobilized in July of this year and return home to Byureghavan, Kotayk region. Instead, the large and bright corner in the living room of the Mirzoyans’ house reminds of him now.
Mother, Manushak Mirzoyan says ․ “Such a thing should not have happened. We were worried about the virus, but we could not think of such a thing. He died in Shushi, but before that he went through everything, has seen so many things. ․․ “.
Leaving for service, Harutyun first went to quarantine in Stepanakert, then in Martuni, and then started serving in Hadrut.
“On the 25th of the month [September] I went shopping to send things to him․ I had not yet sent the package when I learned in the morning, like everyone else, that a war had broken out. I was very worried, but I was sure that it was impossible for the recruits to take part in dangerous activities ․․․ One day he called, we talked for a while, then he said, ‘Mom, one of our boys is injured’. That boy was also from Byureghavan.
The parents know that Harutyun arrived in Askeran with his co-servicemen on October 29, from where he called and said that he was in the forest, then he managed to reach a village where the soldiers found food, were able to bathe and rest for a while.
On November 4, Harutyun called all the relatives, talked to everyone, and was in a good mood.
“My eldest son’s daughter was two months old at that time. Harutyun was very much attached to this child. After talking to me for the last time, he said, ‘Take care of my Manan until I come.’ On the 7th of the month he died. My son knew that he was already in Shushi at that time, but we did not know. When the talks about Shushi started, when everyone was worried about the news there, I thought, thank god; my son is not in Shushi… It turned out that he has been there for several days,” says the mother of the killed soldier.
The news of their son’s death reached the parents on November 11. “We did not send him to the army to meet him like this. It should not be like this ․․․ Although we praise God that at least we were able to find our son [his body] and bury him,” said Mrs. Manushak.
The Byureghavan community gave 11 victims to the 44-day war.
Ani Gevorgyan